Wines in packaging that bring a fresh look to the aisle are leading category sales in U.S. grocery, liquor, and drug stores. Sales are up more than 50% for wine brands using wine-in-box packages and those with screwcap closures.

These are the key findings of new ACNielsen research on consumer purchases of wine. Sales of premium wines with screwcap closures surged more than 51% between March 2005 and March 2006—3.5 times faster than the 750mL bottled wine category as a whole. ACNielsen’s research reconfirms the 3-liter premium wine-in-box as the fastest-growing premium wine category, with 70% growth.

“The growth of wine sales in innovative packaging parallels that of retail sales of convenience foods,” notes Danny Brager, Vice President Client Service, Beverage Alcohol Team at ACNielsen. Industry analysts forecast convenience foods to grow at double the rate of food in general.

“Wine drinkers are opting for convenience packaging when wine quality is high. Consumer preference for premium wines in convenient packaging is going to continue to drive the market for the foreseeable future,” adds Laurie Jones, spokesperson with Corbett Canyon Vineyards.

Overall, 3-liter boxed wines retailing for $12 to $15.99 rose 105% in dollar volume during the study period, says Steve Morgan, Vice President at Delicato Family Vineyards. In 3-liter wine-in-box packages retailing for more than $16, growth was 76%.

Besides convenience, consumers purchasing these newer wine packages are attracted by value and the non-traditional packaging format.